The Blessing of Beale
by Bren Gail
Summary: Only, Eric, could simultaneously break her heart and give her a blessing she didn't want. Nelric break-up. Hints of a potential future Nallen, but Nell isn't convinced. One Shot.


_Summary: Only, Eric, could simultaneously break her heart and give her a blessing she didn't want. Nelric break-up. Hints of a potential future Nallen, but Nell isn't convinced._

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**The Blessing of Beale**

Date night had went well, but Nell had expected a proposal at the five-star restaurant. Tonight they had celebrated Eric's new job. He had accepted an offer that would require him to move to San Francisco. His income would nearly triple when he made the transition to a semi-corporate role that would allow him to fully have hands on the product within a well known software company.

When dinner had ended without a marriage proposal or the least a move to San Francisco with me proposal, Nell had the overwhelming feeling that she would never receive such a proposal from Eric. She remained upbeat and content, however. They had been best friends for several years before they started dating three years ago.

The feeling would be proven correct. They had eaten dinner, went dancing which Eric usually tried to avoid yet he had suggested tonight, and eaten an ice cream cone from a vendor truck before he had brought her home. No longer upbeat and content, Nell was heartbroken with shattered dreams. She and Eric had been sitting on her couch for several minutes in silence as he embraced her in a side hug as she cried.

He had broken up with her with the 'it's not you, but it's really me' cliche. He wanted them to revert back to being the best of friends, buddies. As he had broken up with her he had suggested that there was a man out there

As Nell dried her tears with Eric's cloth handkerchief, she said in a small voice, "Although, I don't understand your decision, I do respect it." She sighed. "I just can't believe that you would break up with me then the same breath suggest I start dating someone else. I have the right to mourn our relationship without moving on to the next guy. I don't even know who that guy would be let alone begin a relationship so soon."

"I have it on good authority that our fearless leader has a type; strong willed, intelligent, and red haired."

Nell made a face of disbelief as she pulled away from the side embrace. "Tracy wasn't a redhead."

"True, but Kristen and his last girlfriend were redheaded. Kristen was before your time with the team. I could have been referring to Granger," He joked as he wrapped his arm around her again. "But I find it funny that you automatically assumed I spoke of Callen. I was, indeed, referring to Callen."

"I love _you_, Eric."

"And, I, you, Nell. Very much so." He hugged her tightly, before he exhaled deeply. He pulled away, but placed his hands on her shoulders. He smiled, bittersweet, with tears glistening his green eyes. "But, we both know this wasn't going to work long-term. We have different life endgames. You want children, one day." He rolled his eyes, playfully. "Yes, I know not now, but years from now, sure, but I don't ever, never ever. Neither of us are going to budge on that and I don't think either of us should, you know."

"I love _you_, Eric." She inhaled deeply then slowly exhaled. He let go of her shoulders and placed his hands in his lap. In the attempt to placate and refute Eric, she stated, "He doesn't want children, either. You have lost your mind suggesting that I pursue a relationship with our friend, our boss."

"I think he does." He smiled as he extended his right hand to hold her left. "He's not our boss. If you want to get technical, and I _always_ do, hello Technological Genius here; Hetty is, well was my, is your boss."

She started crying harder as she held unto his hands with her own. "Eric," She said, her voice slightly breaking at the emotion she experienced. "I'm really going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you too, Nell."

Starting to accept the reality that Eric was actually leaving, leaving her, leaving the team and breaking up with her. Lightly, she slid her thumb over the back of his hand. She tried to joke as she asked, "Who is going to eat Oreo's with me in OPS now when Hetty isn't looking?"

"For one," He clenched his fingers around her hand as if in a small embrace. "Hetty is always looking. Secondly, Callen could. He's a sucker for anything sweet."

Nell glared at him.

"Okay, I'll stop." Eric said as he hugged her once more. "But, please, consider moving on. Don't allow our break-up to turn you sour on men. I want you to have your prince charming, a little prince and princess to go along with your happy ending."

She rolled her eyes as she appreciated him for being her encouraging friend even though he was the reason why she was discouraged. She didn't quite agree with what he said, though. She said, "You have a flair for the dramatic."

"Certainly," Eric said, agreeing with her statement. "I'm always one call, text, or email away. I won't ever be too busy for my best friend."

"So," She drawled out the word, apprehensively before she continued with no bitterness lacing her tone, only confusion. "We're still best friends?"

"Forever and ever, we shall be best friends."

"Just not..."

"No longer the best of lovers."

"You missed your calling." She said as she shook her head. She smiled in a bittersweet way. "You belong on Broadway."

"Alas, if I starred on Broadway as my high school drama teacher suggested, we never would have met. Nor, would I have done such good in the world through my world of OPS."

"Are you going to miss it? Miss OPS?"

"Not as much as I will miss you."

"Who's going to be assigned your position?"

"I was told that Ty will be promoted to the position that I held on the team, but I am certain as I am that I broke the internet that Callen will replace me in your heart."

"ERIC!" Nell growled, thoroughly irritated, hurt, and angered at the way that he kept pushing her towards the idea of her and Callen in a romantic way. "There's a better chance that you'll change your mind about having a child than me and Callen being anything more than friend and co-worker."

"We'll see."

She laughed bitterly as she said, "I want an invite to the baby shower, just so you know!"

He shuddered before he said, "If that atrocity of an event were to ever occur, it shall not ever, but if so, you will be the first that I would want to invite."

She said as she tightly hugged him once again, because she didn't want to let go of the comfort and love she had found in his arms not only in this moment, but the last few years. "I love you so much, Eric."

"And, I love you, Nell. I truly do." Eric said as he rested his chin in the crook of her neck. His glasses started to fog with the silent tears he began to shed. "It's hard when a chapter of life ends. I'm going to have an open mind to the next chapter of mine. I want you to have an open mind to your own. Our story hasn't changed really, but our roles are changing. An ending is sometimes the beginning of something you didn't know you needed."

She needed Eric not Callen as Eric kept suggesting. Her and Callen would never work. She sighed and enjoyed Eric's arms around her instead of trying to argue with him. What he said about chapters within their story was wise, but she didn't need them to break up.

She needed Eric.

She did not need nor want his blessing to move on with her life with another man.

She hoped to awake in the morning to find that tonight had been a horrible nightmare.

Barring the deaths of someone she loved nothing could be as horrible as Eric breaking up with her.

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**Author's Note**: Please let me know what you thought of this Nelric break-up.


End file.
